ISSN: 0149-6115
Published Online: 13 February 2007
Page Count: 7

Acoustic Compressional Wave Velocity as aqa Predictor of Glacio-marine Sediment Grain Size

Moran, Kathryn
University of Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay Campus,RI,

Altmann, Veith
Braunschweig University,

O’Regan, Matthew
University of Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay Campus,RI,

Ashmankas, Cristin
University of Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay Campus,RI,

(Received 6 January 2006; accepted 14 December 2006)

Abstract

We present relationships between the nondestructive measurement of acoustic compressional wave velocity and grain size and show that velocity can be used to assess some physical properties of glacio-marine sediments. For coarse-grained sediments, an increase in velocity is associated with an increase in the percentage of this size range. Within the fine-grained sediment size range, velocity is not an accurate predictor of grain-size. A median grain size of 4 μm and a sand content of 15 % are the limiting factors that distinguish this fine-grained behavior from coarse-grained behavior. However, in fine-grained glacio-marine sediment, the percent of sand (grain size >63 μm), can be predicted by compressional wave velocity. Therefore, with further refinement, acoustic velocity shows some potential as a predictor of grain size for marine sediments.

Keywords:
grain size, marine sediment, acoustic compressional wave velocity, nondestructive testing, porosity, bulk density

Paper ID: GTJ100228
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ100228
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.